Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) is a military controlled area, where all the news are filtered by the military and the Bangladeshi government.CHT, where blood has shed for decades and hopes were burnt to ashes by the brutes, constitutes of people who want their voice to be heard. We are here to ensure that the voice of these unheard victims in CHT echo around the world despite the Bangladeshi government trying to suppress them in the biased state run media.
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Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Chairman of CHLDRC starts unilateral and illegal hearing of land disputes in Khagrachari amid strong protest

On 10 June 2012, chairman of CHT Land Dispute Resolution Commission
(CHTLDRC), retired justice Khademul Islam Chowdhury started unilateral
and illegal hearing of cases of land disputes in Khagrachari amid road
blockade programme enforced by Democratic Youth Forum (DYF) and strong
protest of CHT people of all walks of life.

It is learnt that despite absence of crucial members of CHTLDRC, such
as, chairman of CHT Regional Council, concerned circle chief, concerned
chairman of the Hill District Councils and also continuous quorum
crisis; still chairman of CHTLDRC Khademul Islam and another member of CHTLDRC
additional divisional commissioner Nurul Islam attended the court-room.

During the hour-long hearing from noon, they unilaterally and
illegally checked 48 cases of land disputes. Of them, they decided to
send 17 cases to the secretary of land ministry for his opinion, as
these cases were not fallen under the jurisdiction of the Commission.
The date for hearing for the rest of 31 cases was fixed on next 10 July.
Sources said that more 32 cases of land disputes will be held today (11
June).

It is mentionable that the CHT Accord Implementation Committee in its
3rd meeting held in Khagrachari on 26 December 2010, and its 5th meeting
held on 28 May 2012 postponed all activities of land commission
including hearing of land dispute cases until and unless amendment of
provisions of the CHT Land Dispute Resolution Commission Act 2001
contradictory to the CHT Accord is made.

The CHT people protested against the move of chairman of CHT Land
Dispute Resolution Commission to start unilateral and illegal hearing of
land dispute cases, violating the decision of the CHT Accord
Implementation Committee and before amendment of the CHT Land Dispute
Resolution Commission Act 2001.

The CHT people expressed its concern saying that the starting of
hearing of land dispute cases before amendment of contradictory
provisions of CHTLDRC Act would create more problem to the land disputes
in CHT and also hinder toward amendment of CHT Land Dispute Resolution
Commission Act 2001.

Earlier three moves to start hearing of cases of land disputes were
failed due to quorum crisis. Except of divisional commissioner of
Chittagong who is a member of the CHTLDRC, no member was present earlier in the last
three sittings, as the contradictory provisions of the CHTLDRC Act were
not amended.

On 10 June, demanding cancellation of ‘unilateral’ hearing on land
disputes by the chairman of the CHTLDRC and recognition traditional land
rights of the Jumma people, DYF enforced the road blockade programme in
Khagrachari district.

Law enforcers intercepted the DYF members when
they were marching toward the land commission's office at around 8:00am
to lay a siege to the office. Road communications between Khagrachari
and rest of the country was snapped during the road blockade programme,
leaving 12 people, including four cops injured.

Armed Police
Battalion and RAB members have also been deployed at different parts of
the town to maintain law and order.

Leaders of Nirbachita Jumma Janapratinidi Sangsad (a platform for the
elected representatives of Jumma people) also demanded cancellation of
the hearing process of CHT Land Dispute Resolution Commission and
withdrawal of the commission's Chairman Justice (retd) Khademul Islam
Chowdhury. They also demanded recognition of the traditional land law of
the hill people and amendments to CHT Land Dispute Resolution
Commission Act 2001.

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Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT), home of Jumma Indigenous people, is a military controlled area, where all the news are filtered by the military and the Bangladeshi government. No foreigners are allowed to enter this military zone without obtaining permission from the Bangladeshi government.
CHT, where blood has shed for decades and hopes were burnt to ashes by the brutes, constitutes of people who want their voice to be heard. We are here to ensure that the voice of these unheard victims in CHT echo around the world despite the Bangladeshi government trying to suppress them in the biased state run media.
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